Stabilizing-plane on aerial craft



A. V. ROE AND R. J. PARROTT.

STABILIZING PLANE 0N AERIAL CRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. 1919.

41,336, 1 61 ented Apr. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. V. ROE AND R. .I. PARROTT.

STABILIZING PLANE 0N AERIAL CRAFT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4, 1919.

1,336, 161 Patented p 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

ALLIOTT VERDON ROE, 0F BURSLEDON, NEAR SOUTHAMPTON, AND REGINALD JOHN PARROTT, OF HEDGE END, NEAR SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALLIoTT VERDoN Ron and REGINALD JOHN PARROTT, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bursledon and Hedge End, respectively, near Southampton, in the county of Hampshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stabilizing- Planes on Aerial Craft, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in and connected with hinged stabilizing planes on aerial craft, and has for its object to provide improved means for balancing such hinged planes both mechanically and aerodynamically.

In accordance with current practice in aircraft construction, stabilizing planes generally consist in aerofoils hinged at their leading edges to the rear of the fixed supporting surfacesof which, in normal flight, they constitute a part; when such an aerofoil is deflected from its normal attitude of flight the total air pressure acting upon it is considerable and unless it be so pivoted as to be substantially balanced (aerodynamically) about its pivotal axis, a relatively large force has to be exerted on its control members to effect a movement.

This invention consists in providing means for balancing a hinged aerofoil of the type described in such a way as to obviate the aerodynamic difficulties hereinbefore alluded to, and embraces a separate auxiliary balancing plane stayed to the hinged member in such a manner that said auxiliary plane and said hinged stabilizing member lie on opposite sides of an approximately vertical plane through the hinge pivot of the latter. Now in order that' our invention may be more readily understood reference is made hereinafter to the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevational view of an aeroplane wing having an aileron furnished with an auxiliary balancing plane, in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view and Fig. 3 a plan view of a portion of the wing and its attachments illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side elevational view and Fig. 5 a plan of a tail unit, whereof the rudder and elevators are balanced by duplicate auxiliary planes;-

and Fig. 6 is a view taken substantially on Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

Application filed January 4, 1919. Serial No. 269,654.

line AB of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of arrow X, and shows the movable aerofoils of the tail in front elevation.

Referring to these drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1-3 thereof, the numeral 1 designates an aeroplane wing, having hinged to it, in the usual manner, an aileron 2 and, in accordance with our invention, we mount upon this 'aileronpreferably upon the upper surface thereof-one or more struts 3 inclined so as to overhang the main aerofoil and adapted to carry an auxiliary plane or planes 4, for balancing said aileron. In Fig. 1 the auxiliary plane 4 is shown as of a cambered section by reason of which, in normal flight, it experiences a lift reaction due to its passage through the air, thereby contributing to the vertical sustaining forces acting on the machine. It may, however, if desired, have a fiat or a streamline section,

and examples of the latter form are hereinafter described and illustrated in connection with a tail unit.

For ailerons of ordinary proportions, it is generally convenient to employ one auxiliary plane 1, carried by two or, at most three supporting struts 3 and one or more of these struts 3 may perform the function of an aileron actuating lever. This arrangement is shown in Figs. 13 wherein the numerals 5 indicate aileron control cables connected by turnbuckles 6 to the struts 3 and passing over pulleys 7 to the control stick of the machine. It will of course be apparent that the underside of the aileron 2 is provided either with an actuating lever of conventional form or with an attachment for an intcr-ailm'on wire 8.

The application of our invention to the rudder and clmrators of a tractor aeroplane is illustrated in l igs. 4 6. .The fuselage 2 1 has a fixed vertical fin 25 and to this is -hinged a rudder 26, while to sides of said fuselage are attached the fixed tail plane's 27 mal flight, about the pivotal axis of the rudder. One opposed pair of struts 30 may levers, and to this end may have lugs or extenslons passlng through the auxiliary planes to provide attachments 31 for the rudder control cables 3:2.

In this case of a streamline or non-lifting .tail such as that illustrated in the drawings,

the elevators 28 are balanced in similar manner to the rudder, by means of duplicate streamline auxiliary planes 33 carried by inclined struts 34. Where however, a cambered tail is employed the method of balancing the elevators is the same as that hereinbefore described in connection with ailerons, i. e.,- each elevator carries only one auxiliary balancing plane which is preferably of a cambered or lifting section.

In the drawings attachments 35 for the elevator'control cables 36 are shown in the plane of the inner sets of struts 34:, from which they preferably extend.

Though specifically described in relation to the hinged-stabilizing planes of an aeroplane, it will be understood that our invention is applicable to the hinged steering or stabilizing members of airships, or .to any analogous hinged aerofoils.

What we claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a hinged stabilizing plane, a separate auxiliary balancing plane, and a rigid stay connecting them together in such a way that they lie substantially on opposite sides of a common axis of rotation.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a hinged stabilizing plane,

two-separate auxiliary balancing lanes disposed one on each side of the said stabilizing (plane and each connected thereto by a rigi stay, so that movement of the stabilizing plane about its pivot causes movement of one balancing plane in opposite direction but in similar phase to that of the other, where by both balancing planes serve to counteract the aerodynamic pressure due to movement of the said stabilizing plane.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a hinged stabilizing plane, one or more rigid stays forming the levers by which the stabilizing plane is operated, a separate auxiliary balancing plane connected to the said levers so as to be supported in normal flight forward, or substantially forward of the pivot of the stabilizing plane, and means for actuating the saidlevers.

l. The combination in an aeroplane of stabilizing planes pivoted to the fixed main planes, separate auxiliary balancing planes, rigid stays connecting the said stabilizing and balancing planes so that the balancing planes are supported substantially forward of the pivots of the stabilizing planes, a vertical rudder plane, vertical balancing -planes, rigid stay connecting the said balancing planes one on each side of the said rudder plane so that they are supported forward of the pivot of the said rudder plane, elevating planes, duplicate auxiliary planes, rigid stays supporting the said planes one above and one below the said elevating planes so as to be substantially forward of the pivots of the latter and means for actuating respectively certain of the rigid stays of the main stabilizing planes, the rudder plane, and the elevating planes, so that the said stays are actuated to operate the said planes for the control of the aeroplane, each of the said control planes being balanced aerodynamically by the balancing planes as regards the pressures set up by deflection of the said control planes from their normal attitude of flight.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

ALLIOTT VERDON ROE. REGINALD JOHN PARROTT.

lVitnesses:

HARVEY J. Bavnns'rnn'r, CHARLES PACK. 

